The end of summer is fast approaching, and parents in our office are getting their kids ready for the upcoming school year. What does this mean? For most families this means a dramatic change in schedule from the summer months, and a mad dash to get everybody in the right places at the right times. It’s an exciting season! We love when the parents in our office tell us that their kids are transitioning well into their new school year routine. We have heard over and over about kids having trouble adapting to the new school year, or they constantly catch a cold because of all the “germs” in school classrooms. Why does this happen to some kiddos? And what does getting adjusted have to do with back to school?
Back to School Stress
Dramatic changes in our routines can often place a lot of stress on the body. More specifically, shifting into a different environment places stress on our nervous system. This stress on the nervous system can appear as “symptoms” that we see over and over again in kiddos. It can look like the common cold/virus that happens every year, or a lack of focus in the classroom, or unable to get their homework completed. Although, we have heard that there are teachers out there that don’t give any homework. Which makes me want to get back into school!
The Why
The fact is, there are specific reasons for why these symptoms happen. And once we are able to understand why these “symptoms” occur, then we can make the right choices of how to achieve optimal health! When our nervous system is under stress we enter what is called sympathetic dominance, or “fight-or-flight” mode. This fight-or-flight is essential for our survival when we are running away from a sabre tooth tiger! Our bodies don’t need our long-term immune system to fight infection when we are running away, so our immune system is dampened so that we can use more resources to fight or run. We are also not able to commit things to long term memory when we are running away because our bodies are on high alert, constantly looking out for the sabre tooth tiger hiding in the grass.
These changes that help us survive in stressful situations can often look like “symptoms” that our kids experience in school so often. When they go from summer-mode to school-mode, their body goes into a chronic fight-or-flight stress response. Their immune systems become dampened, and their attention becomes all over the place for these same reasons that kept our ancestors alive. Now that we understand what’s happening underneath the surface, what can we do about it?
The Solution
Our office focuses on identifying areas in the nervous system that are not performing optimally. We call this an interference in the nervous system, or a subluxation. Once we have identified these interferences, we are able to correct them with gentle, specific adjustments using techniques that are specifically for pediatric populations. By removing the interference, the body can step off of the gas-pedal that is sympathetic dominance and return to a healthy balance. Children no longer experience the seasonal colds or allergies and they are able to pay attention in school because they no longer are running away from the sabre tooth hiding in the grass. The best part? This solution doesn’t involve constant antibiotic regimens or heavy attention medications.
We are passionate about helping our families experience life to the fullest by allowing their bodies to function naturally. If you or a loved one struggles with this time of year, give our office a call and learn about how we might can make a difference.
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